O'Neil - I thought it was over

West Ham winger Gary O'Neil has declared that he was worried about not being able to play professional football again.

Last Updated: 08/12/11 10:40am

Gary O'Neil: Cannot wait for his ankle to fully recover as he wants some first-team action

West Ham winger Gary O'Neil has declared that he was worried about not being able to play professional football again.

The right-sided midfielder played his first game since April on Tuesday in a development squad match against Brentford after recovering from ankle ligament damage he sustained against Aston Villa.

The ex-Middlesbrough player appeared for 45 minutes against the Bees and he has admitted that his ankle is going to take a while to fully heal.

"It was nerve-wracking. Training is one thing and going out and playing against opposition who don't know or care that you've been injured is different from playing against people who know you've been injured and take it easy," said O'Neil to The Sun

Big step

"A few months in I wasn't sure whether I would play again so it's been really good. The ankle is still going to take some time to get it where I need it. It's been hard. I've never had a long-term injury before.

"I had to have my ankle up above my hip for 55 minutes of every hour for the first two-and-a-half months - I was only allowed to put it down to go to the toilet or make a cup of tea.

"We've still not achieved what we want to achieve which is to get me back to where I was before the injury but we're definitely getting closer. It was a big step and I'll go home happy."

O'Neil could be appearing in the first-team by next month and he is keen to get back into action, adding: "It's just a case of getting it strong enough and getting rid of the aches and pains.

"There is another game next week that hopefully I can get involved in."